The invention relates to air lifting mechanisms and in particular to air lifting by airfoils. Specifically, it relates to an airfoil in the form of an improved parafoil of multilayered or multi-tiered configuration.
In the prior art lift mechanisms were primarily of the fixed wing type as in aircraft which were achieved through the dynamic physics of the airfoil. In subsequent prior art some mechanisms resorted to an airfoil of a configuration known as a parafoil.
The present invention goes several steps beyond the aforementioned prior art to achieve a more efficient lifting power. The common parafoil is less efficient because of the wide angular lift caused by the horizontal dispersement of the lifting power found in a common parafoil. The more efficient present invention develops an improved directly vertical lift by a multilayered arrangement of a plurality of parafoils as hereinafter described.
The parafoil vertical lift mechanism of the present invention gives a tremendous lifting capability in an almost straight up direction. At the same time the present invention provides a very compact design that is easily managed and which can be incorporated with a variety of vehicle types and objects to be moved by air transport.
The common parafoil is made up of a plurality of compartments or cells spread over an extremely wide area, something in the nature of a very wide fixed wing of an airplane airfoil, or like a very wide parachute canopy. The vertical lift capability diminishes as the tether components recede from the center. The present invention improves this vertical lift capability by its multi-layered configuration and its vertical spacing holding capability.
Each of the compartments or cells is comparably shaped like a cross-section of a fixed wing airfoil. The compartments or cells are each formed by sewing or otherwise affixing together specifically shaped lengths of cloth or fabric. The individual compartments or cells are then sewed or otherwise affixed together side by side to form the wing-like airfoil configuration. It is to be understood that it is within the scope and intent of this invention to assemble the compartments or cells with a common wall between each compartment or cells instead of first assembling individual cells before making the composite assembly.
The compartments or cells are open at the leading edge; the leading edge being at an angle to the cross-sectional configuration of the compartment or cell. The open leading edge permits each and every cell to fill with air as the parafoil moves forward into the wind or as the wind blows or moves across the parafoil. As the air fills each compartment or cell the individual compartments or cells take their wing-like cross-sectional configuration.
In the present invention the need for a wide horizontal wing-like configuration is reduced or eliminated. The present invention effectively reduces the need for tremendous horizontal widths and assembles a plurality of short-width parafoils in a multi-layered configuration. In some embodiments of the invention, parafoils can be utilized that are wider than the largest wingspan of any plane currently in existance. The multi-layered configuration provides a greater concentrated vertical lift component to the tethers leading to the load being lifted.
A plurality of ventral fins underneath each layer connect and affix each layer of the plurality of parafoils to each other. A plurality of ventral fins on the lowermost layer connect to a lifting frame for the load to be transported. Tether lines on the ventral fins make the actual connection or affixation to the next lower parafoil or to the aforementioned lifting frame. In the present invention the low total vertical component of the lift capability of the common parafoil, due to the tether lines meeting in a more or less common nexus, is replaced by almost total directly vertical components of the more or less vertically connected tethers of the plurality of multi-layered or multi-tiered parafoils.
The plurality of multi-layered or multi-tiered parafoils of the present invention eliminates the unwieldy configuration of the common parafoil and makes the present invention more easily managed.
As aforementioned, the connection of a plurality of tethers from the ventral fins under the lowermost layer or tier of the parafoils of the present invention to the lifting frame provides a more efficient vertical component of vertical lift than is possible by the long lines or tethers in an ordinary wide parafoil, many of which are from wide angles providing inefficient vertical components of vertical lift, which terminate in a nexus at the load being lifted. In the present invention the tethers are short and almost all are more or less directly vertical in relation to the lifting frame which carries the load being transported.
The lifting lines or tethers, connected to the lifting frame, determine the horizontal plane configuration of the lifting frame by their natural vertical hang or run to the point where they intersect the horizontal plane of the lifting frame.
The connecting or affixing of tethers from the aforementioned ventral fins to the next lower parafoil is similar to the connecting or affixing of tethers from the aforementioned ventral fins of the lowermost parafoil to the lifting frame. Thus, all vertical lifting components of each of the plurality of parafoils is almost a directly vertical component which gives the very efficient lifting power of the present invention. The details of the connecting or affixing means is described hereinafter in the specification of the preferred embodiments.
Another prime feature of the present invention which establishes the efficiency of the operation is the plurality of positioning stabilization rods to maintain the basic vertical spacing of the plurality of parafoils for an immediate ballooning effect at the start when ready for a take-off. Depending upon the size of the parafoil vertical lift mechanism, at least two positioning stabilization rods are used normally, however, it is to be understood that it is within the scope and intent of this invention to use only one or to use more positioning stabilization rods as the overall width increases.
Without positioning stabilization rods the plurality of parafoils would collapse upon each other when not in use and and when starting for a take-off it would be difficult and almost impossible to induce air into the plurality of components or cells without some manual assistance. The positioning stabilization rods each pass through the uppermost fabric panel of one of the compartments or cells near the leading edge thereof or through a ring affixed to the leading edge. The fabric panel is suitably held in position on the positioning stabilization rod as described hereinafter in the specification for the preferred embodiments. It is this maintenance of position of the compartments or cells on the positioning stabilization rods that provides for the present invention's capability of being able to immediately fill the plurality of parafoils with air, a prime factor in the efficiency of the present invention.
The positioning stabilization rods are so arranged so that the plurality of parafoils may be totally collapsed and the positioning stabilization rod laid down to facilitate transport to another location or for temporary or long term storage.
The plurality of positioning stabilization rods may be suitably affixed to a transverse member to maintain a transverse rigid position between them. At least one additional transverse member is positioned and suitably affixed above the first transverse member to provide a frame-like rigidity to the plurality of positioning stabilization rods and as a second purpose to serve as a handle means when raising the plurality of positioning stabilization rods to their vertical position. The rigid assembly of the positioning stabilization rods is suitably affixed to the object or vehicle, which is being carried by the lifting frame, to be transported.
A preferred method of maintaining the vertical position of the plurality of positioning stabilization rods is by tying them to a forward extension of an element of the lifting frame component.
A suitable connecting means as a load connector is affixed to the lifting frame for suitably affixing the load thereto, after which the plurality of tether means on the ventral fins of the lifting frame are suitably affixed to the load to stabilize the position of the load during the transporting. These latter tether lines are for stabilization only and do not bear any weight of the load lifted. The load is carried by the load connector which is suitably affixed to the lifting frame.
In order to reduce drag when forward motion is a problem, spill vents may be used on the trailing portion of each compartment or cell of the parafoils. The spill vents may be made of the permanently open type or of an open/closed type. The use of spill vents will reduce the lift capability slightly.
A suitable net arrangement may be positioned under the lifting frame assembly when the parafoil vertical lifting mechanism is to be collapsed during a non-use mode or for temporary or permanent storage. The net arrangement purpose is to collect the loose tether lines, ventral fins, and assembled plurality of parafoils and the lowered positioning stabilization rods. The net arrangement may be then gathered over the top of the collapsed parafoil vertical lifting mechanism to secure all of the numerous components of the system.
The structure of the parafoil vertical lifting mechanism may also be arranged so that the various components, such as each of the plurality of parafoils with affixed ventral fins and tethers, each of the positioning stabilization rods, the lifting frame assembly, and other elements or components may be further disassembled for compact permanent storage or for shipment when not in use.
The parafoil vertical lift mechanism of the present invention may be utilized to lift a plurality of loads in a plurality of configurations, such as, but not limited to: a bicycle-type conveyance; an individual person airplane-like fuselage conveyance; a boat-like or amphibious-type conveyance; a truck-type cargo carrier or a comparable passenger-type carrier; and other similar bi-mode configurations.
It is to be noted that the aforementioned variation in types of loads that can be transported by the parafoil vertical lift mechanism are all bi-mode structural types; thus, the load types can be utilized as the air transported conveyeance as one mode and also on the ground or other environment as another mode.
Furthermore, it is to be noted that in some instances the means of forward propulsion may be by mechanical means, such as by an engine driven propeller or jet propelled, or by human powered means, such as a manually powered propeller.
With the wide range of bi-mode means the parafoil vertical lift mechanism can be utilized for ground to ground air-lifted transportation and for water to ground or ground to water air-lifted transportation (such as for off-loading ships off shore). These capabilities make the present invention useful in both civilian uses as well as for military uses.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a mechanism that has a highly efficient vertical lift capability.
It is another object of this invention to provide a mechanism that can air lift a plurality of bi-mode types of transport means.
It is also an object ot this invention to provide an air transport means that may be mechanically or manually propelled.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a mechanism that is in a structural configuration that has an immediate vertical lift capability at the start of take-off.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a mechanism that has a structure that can be collapsed easily for temporary or permanent storage when not in use.
It is yet still another object of this invention to provide a mechanism that has a structure that can be disassembled easily into component parts for compact storage or shipment.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in light of the following description of the preferred embodiments.